The purpose of our master thesis was to investigate what motivates assembly line workers performing low-skill jobs in a small industrial laundry business. We wanted to see what factors determine and influence their motivation to work and if and how this motivation can be improved with respect to assembly line systems in general. The method of our investigation was qualitative in nature, where we studied one firm that leases clean bed clothes and textiles to hotels and restaurants around Sweden. We constructed a survey on motivation and handed it out to the assembly line workers who deal with the laundry. Furthermore, we interviewed the shift manager in order to get the company’s view on employee motivation…
Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Problem
1.3 Purpose
2 Frame of reference
2.1 The classical assembly line system
2.2 Motivation
2.3 Short term motivation – incentives
2.4 Long term motivation and the Human Performance System
2.4.1 Organisational Inputs: motivation through culture and communication
2.4.2 People: motivation through work design
2.4.3 Behaviours and performance: motivation through leadership
2.4.4 Consequences
2.4.5 Feedback: motivation through criticism and appraisal
2.4.6 Environment: motivation and the big picture
2.5 Motivation and company size
3 Method
3.1 Choice of method
3.2 Collection of information
3.2.1 Questionnaires
3.2.2 Interview with the shift manager
3.2.3 Literature review
4 Findings
4.1 The company
4.1.1 Working routines
4.1.2 Ergonomics
4.2 Results from the survey
4.2.1 General
4.2.2 Working routines and motivation
4.2.3 Culture & communication and motivation
4.2.4 Incentives and motivation
4.2.5 Ergonomics and motivation
4.2.6 Leadership and motivation
4.2.7 Feedback and motivation
4.2.8 Overall motivation
4.3 Results from the manager interview
4.3.1 The process
4.3.2 Incentives
4.3.3 Culture and communication
4.3.4 Ergonomics
4.3.5 Leadership and behaviour
4.3.6 Feedback and attitude
4.3.7 General
5 Analysis
5.1 The classical assembly line system
5.2 Short term motivation – incentives
5.2.1 Compensation
5.2.2 Rewards
5.3 Organisational Inputs: motivation through culture and communication
5.3.1 Culture
5.3.2 Mission and service
5.3.3 Communication
5.4 People: motivation through work design
5.4.1 Proper techniques and health issues
5.4.2 Altering the system through more responsibility
5.5 Behaviours and performance: motivation through leadership
5.5.1 X versus Y
5.5.2 Management by walking around
5.6 Consequences
5.7 Feedback: motivation through criticism and appraisal
5.8 Environment: motivation and the big picture
5.8.1 Internal environment
5.8.2 External environment
5.9 Motivation and company size
Motivation and assembly lines in general
6 Conclusion
6.1 Suggestion for further research
References
Appendices
Author: Saitovic, Maja,Jusufi, Valdete
Source: Jönköping University
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